GRAND RAPIDS, MI—The American Red Cross of Greater of Grand Rapids is looking for more disaster service volunteers in Ionia and Barry counties. Disaster service volunteers are responsible for offering assistance during an emergency situation.

Barry County currently has eight disaster volunteers and Ionia County has six. The goal is to have between 10 and 15 people who can respond when a natural or man-made disaster happens. Kelly Hudson, spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids, said on previous occasions, West Michigan volunteers assisted Barry and Ionia counties during disasters there.

“We have many dedicated volunteers throughout West Michigan who have been able to assist disaster volunteers in Ionia and Barry counties. If needed, we will send additional volunteers from neighboring counties so we are able to provide assistance to those seeking help, but we want to respond locally” she said.

American Red Cross disaster volunteers learn specific response tactics for different emergency situations such as fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes. As an example, a group of 19 volunteers from the Holland area assisted with the Harbor Village Apartment fire reported on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Hudson said volunteers were responsible for setting up a shelter for approximately 40 people, providing meals and handing out comfort kits.

“Our volunteers are fantastic, and the Red Cross is recruiting more to help distribute the responses more evenly and make sure that we can respond to disasters efficiently,” said Hudson.

If you are interested in volunteering, the next training startup class will be held on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 6-10 p.m. at the Grand Rapids chapter at 1050 Fuller Ave. After the disaster training overview class, multiple pathways open up within disaster services for the volunteers to choose from.